Measles outbreak: Ten UCs declared worst hit

DCO has directed the department to start anti measles drive in these UCs.

UPPER DIR:

District government and health department officials declared 10 union councils (UCs) as worst affected by the measles outbreak.

Briefing DCO Muhammad Ali Shah during a meeting, Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) Coordinator Dr Muhammad Gul said that the outbreak started two months ago.

Later on, the DCO directed the department to start an anti-measles drive in these UCs and report to the DCO  by September 1.

Emergency incharge at District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Hospital Dr Sahib Gul told The Express Tribune that more than 2,000 patients of measles have been registered in the hospital since June, adding that none of them were vaccinated. However, no casualty had yet been confirmed. Dr Gul said that two UCs, Jabar and Palam, were the worst hit areas. He complained that the government had launched a campaign but was not able to complete it.

District Supervisor for  Vaccination Behre Karam said that they launched a campaign to provide immunisation against measles before June in which nearly 50% of the population, especially children under seven, were vaccinated.

“We will once again start the vaccination campaign after August 15 in the UCs to eradicate the disease. Before, we were not able to reach all the areas due to shortage of funds,” he added. Karam further said that so far two children had died of measles in UC Kotki.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2012.